Hogwarts for Hackers

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Hogwarts for Hackers is the name for several series of free, live video training sessions and skills sharing workshops. The sessions are loosely organized under a few different "tracks" and events are publicized over social media. Event participants visit a well-known address to get information about the specifics for the session, which is usually the address of a Jitsi Meet video conference.

Educational tracks include:

• Developer and project contributor
• Hacker Highschool
• Investigative and data journalism

Project contributor track

1. Collaborative Git Workflow Fundamentals

   Learn the basics of using git, a decentralized version control system (DVCS), to collaborate on projects where you need to share files with other people.

   The Better Angels collective is hosting a free, live video training session about how we use git to collaborate on building a cop-free alternative to 9-1-1, called Buoy. This free online class is open to the public. You do not have to be a project contributor to participate.

   Join us at https://gitter.im/betterangels/buoy and watch for a link to the video conference.

   This class is for anyone who wants to practice using git as part of a team. Git can be used for far more than simply tracking changes to program code. You can use it to track changes to pictures, papers, even your novel's manuscript.

   We will be using the Buoy project as an example but you will have live instruction to guide you through hands-on examples of forking, committing, and merging new files into a practice repository. The class will cover how the Better Angels use a "fork and pull" workflow to manage project changes between a geographically distributed team.

   Specific topics covered will include:

   • Installing git
   • Setting up your contributor identity
   • Forking a repository
   • Making changes to tracked files
   • Adding new files and comitting changes
   • Sending pull requests and patches
   • Merging changes from others
   • Using multiple branches
   • Using multiple "remote" repositories

   To prepare for the class, please skim the following page: https://help.github.com/articles/set-up-git/

   If we have time, we will also discuss various different workflows, such as those described at these additional guides:

   • https://guides.github.com/introduction/flow/
   • https://www.atlassian.com/git/tutorials/comparing-workflows/

   The Better Angels is an anarchist collective creating liberatory software. Our first project is Buoy, a cop-free alternative to 9-1-1. We are 100% volunteer driven and rely solely on donations. Support our work: https://www.generosity.com/community-fundraising/buoy-empowering-community-based-crisis-response

2. Mastering Virtual Machine Basics

   Learn the basics of using virtual machines, or "computers inside computers." Find out how you can use software designed for Windows on a Mac (or vice versa), why using virtual machines can increase your security while browsing the Web, and a whole lot more.

   The Better Angels collective is hosting a free, live video training session about how we use virtual machines, and how virtual machines help us collaborate on building a cop-free alternative to 9-1-1, called Buoy. This free online class is open to the public. You do not have to be a project contributor to participate.

   Join us at https://gitter.im/betterangels/buoy and watch for a link to the video conference.

   This class is for anyone who wants to learn more about virtual machines (VMs) and how to use them. While most people think of virtual machines as a way to run software designed for a computer different than theirs, virtual machines can be used for a whole lot more. Virtual machines are also useful during cross-platform software development, they can resurrect your favorite old-school games and programs, and they can even protect you from viruses when you go online.

   The video class will offer live instruction to guide you through hands-on examples of installing, running, and customizing virtual machines. The class will cover how the Better Angels use virtual machines to test and run software across multiple server environments, as well as additional uses of virtual machines.

   Specific topics covered will include:

   • Understanding virtual machines, hypervisors, and physical hardware
   • Uses for virtual machines
   • Installing VirtualBox
   • Configuring virtualized hardware
   • Downloading operating system (OS) software
   • Installing OS and other software inside a virtual machine
   • Taking snapshots of a virtual machine's state
   • Installing and using VirtualBox Guest Additions features
   • Packaging virtual machines into shareable archives and "appliances"

   If we have time, we will also discuss:

   • Automating virtual machine setup with Vagrant
   • Configuring virtualized network adapters for multi-virtual machine communication
   • Converting between different virtual machine formats (VMware/VirtualBox/HyperV, etc.)

   To prepare for the class, please skim one of the following beginner guides:

   • http://www.howtogeek.com/196060/beginner-geek-how-to-create-and-use-virtual-machines/
   • http://lifehacker.com/5204434/the-beginners-guide-to-creating-virtual-machines-with-virtualbox

   If you have some time, please also read these additional starter guides:

   • https://www.linux.com/learn/why-when-and-how-use-virtual-machine
   • http://www.pcworld.com/article/220644/10_Cool_Things_Virtualization_Lets_You_Do.html

   For the security portion, we will be referencing these guides:

   • https://theintercept.com/2015/09/16/getting-hacked-doesnt-bad/
   • https://www.deepdotweb.com/2015/03/02/tutorial-high-security-virtual-machines/

   The Better Angels is an anarchist collective creating liberatory software. Our first project is Buoy, a cop-free alternative to 9-1-1. We are 100% volunteer driven and rely solely on donations. Support our work: https://www.generosity.com/community-fundraising/buoy-empowering-community-based-crisis-response

Hacker Highschool track

The Hacker Highschool track largely follows the Hacker Highschool curriculum developed by ISECOM. Each lesson in the curriculum is covered over the course of one month, with biweekly live video conferences. Participants are encouraged to read the course material on their own time, and then join the live video chat to participate in the group discussion, Q&A, and by watching or performing the lesson's exercises.

1. Lesson 1: Becoming a Hacker

   Become a hacker! Learn to do more than just shoulder-surfing or using script kiddie tools. Nurture your creativity, resourcefulness, and motivation in an endless cycle of discovery, curiosity, and exploration!

   The Better Angels collective is hosting a free, live video training session about the fundamentals of hacking, and the tools we use to discover information relating to computer, network, and even physical security. The video class will offer live instruction to guide you through hands-on exercises in finding, installing, and using real hacking and penetration testing tools. This free class is open to the public and ASSUMES NO PRIOR BACKGROUND. Complete n00bs are welcomed & encouraged to join.

   Go to https://gitter.im/betterangels/buoy and watch for a link to the video conference.

   Join us for Lesson 1: HACK EVERYTHING BUT HARM NONE.

   What you may think you know about hackers is that they can break into other computers and take over other people's accounts. They can read your email without you knowing. They can look through your web cam without your permission and can see you and hear you in the supposed privacy of your own home. That's not untrue. ;)

   Some hackers see network security as just another challenge, so they tinker with ways to trick or fool the system, but really what they're trying to do is out-think the network installers or designers. They discover as much about the network as they can, where it gets its instructions, the rules it uses, and how it interacts with operating systems, the other systems around it, the users who have access to it and the administrators who manage it. Then they use that to try different ways of getting what they want. This kind of hacking can be greatly beneficial to the world for understanding how to be safer and for building even better technology.

   In this introductory lesson, we will cover:

   • The joy of hacking
   • Benefits of becoming a hacker
   • Hacking terms and jargon (attack surfaces, exposures, exploits, OPSEC, and more)
   • Handles, nicks, and nyms
   • How to Hack: Understanding Trusts and Accesses
   • The OSSTMM "Four Point Process"
   • What to Hack: COMMSEC, PHYSEC, SPECSEC
   • Basics of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)
   • How to find and learn from hacking resources

   To prepare for the class, please skim "Hacker Highschool Lesson 1: Being a Hacker" from ISECOM: http://www.hackerhighschool.org/lessons/HHS_en1_Being_a_Hacker.v2.pdf

   The Better Angels is an anarchist collective creating liberatory software. Our first project is Buoy, a cop-free alternative to 9-1-1. We are 100% volunteer driven and rely solely on donations. Support our work: https://www.generosity.com/community-fundraising/buoy-empowering-community-based-crisis-response

2. Review for Hacker Higherschool, Lesson 1

   This will be a review/refresh/catch-up/Q&A session for Hacker Highschool, Lesson 1: "HACK EVERYTHING. HARM NONE."

   The Better Angels collective is hosting a free, live video training session about the fundamentals of hacking, and the tools we use to discover information relating to computer, network, and even physical security. The video class will offer live instruction to guide you through hands-on exercises in finding, installing, and using real hacking and penetration testing tools. This free class is open to the public and ASSUMES NO PRIOR BACKGROUND. Complete n00bs are welcomed & encouraged to join.

   Go to https://gitter.im/betterangels/buoy and watch for a link to the video conference.

   Join us to REVIEW/REFRESH/CATCH-UP with Lesson 1!

   If you missed the first class session, don't worry! The structure of our Hacker Highschool track is very informal, and all the material is freely available. The video classes are guided discussions and Q&A sessions.

   Be sure to read through the Lesson 1 PDF as much as you can before the video class starts: http://www.hackerhighschool.org/lessons/HHS_en1_Being_a_Hacker.v2.pdf

   Optionally, you can also review our previous class notes: https://github.com/betterangels/better-angels/wiki/Hacker-Highschool,-Lesson-1-class-notes#2016-05-14

   During the video class, we will briefly review:

   • The joy of hacking
   • Benefits of becoming a hacker
   • Hacking terms and jargon (attack surfaces, exposures, exploits, OPSEC, and more)
   • Handles, nicks, and nyms
   • How to Hack: Understanding Trusts and Accesses
   • The OSSTMM "Four Point Process"
   • What to Hack: COMMSEC, PHYSEC, SPECSEC
   • Basics of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)
   • How to find and learn from hacking resources

   Then we will complete Lesson 1 by covering:

   • Search engines
   • Advanced search engine operations
   • Document grinding cached/archived websites
   • OSINT through Newsgroups and Mailing List
   • Finding info in wiki history
   • Sleuthing via Social Media
   • Peer-to-peer (P2P) network basics

   To prepare for the class, please read "Hacker Highschool Lesson 1: Being a Hacker" from ISECOM: http://www.hackerhighschool.org/lessons/HHS_en1_Being_a_Hacker.v2.pdf

   The Better Angels is an anarchist collective creating liberatory software. Our first project is Buoy, a cop-free alternative to 9-1-1. We are 100% volunteer driven and rely solely on donations. Support our work: https://www.generosity.com/community-fundraising/buoy-empowering-community-based-crisis-response

Investigative and data journalism track

1. Fighting Big Brother with LittleSis.org

   LittleSis.org is a free database detailing the connections between powerful people and organizations. It is meant to support journalists, watchdogs, and grassroots activists, empowering us to see past shallow news headlines and tired debates. Expose corruption in government, businesses, and even in "non-profits!"

   The Better Angels collective is hosting a free, live video training session about how we use the free investigative and data journalism tools provided by LittleSis.org to collect, store, and analyze information about the corrupt 1% and their henchpeople. The video class will offer live instruction to guide you through hands-on exercises in researching news stories, profiling individuals and institutions, and mapping connections between powerful people and special interest groups. This free class is open to the public.

   Go to https://gitter.im/betterangels/buoy and watch for a link to the video conference.

   LittleSis.org brings transparency to influential social networks by tracking the key relationships of politicians, business leaders, lobbyists, financiers, and their affiliated institutions. Using LittleSis, we can answer questions such as:

   • Who do the wealthiest Americans donate their money to?
   • Where did White House officials work before they were appointed?
   • Which lobbyists are married to politicians, and who do they lobby for?
   • and many more.

   All of this information is public, but scattered. We bring it together in one place. Our data derives from government filings, news articles, and other reputable sources. Some data sets are updated automatically; the rest is filled in by our user community.

   In this training session, we will cover:

   • Making a LittleSis account (pseudonymously if needed)
   • Browsing LittleSis profiles of institutions and individuals
   • How to "follow the money" using LittleSis's database of government/corporate/individual relationships
   • Searching the LittleSis database
   • Adding new people and organizations to the LittleSis database
   • Adding new relationships between entitites in the LittleSis database
   • Using advanced Google search techniques to find hard-to-find references and sources
   • Citing public data in LittleSis
   • Using the LittleSis.org Oligrapher to map the American "Democracy's" oligarchy

   If we have time, we will also cover:

   • Collaborating with fellow analysts in LittleSis Research Groups
   • Using LittleSis Notes to send and receive analyst information
   • Advanced techniques for categorizing entities in lists
   • Pulling machine-readable data out of the LittleSis database using the LittleSis API (Application Programming Interface)
   • How to use additional security protections with LittleSis (HTTPS Everywhere, Tor Browser, etc.)

   To prepare for the class, please skim the LittleSis.org About page: https://littlesis.org/about

   LittleSis.org is a project of the Public Accountability Initiative (PAI). This free class offered by the Better Angels Collective is not officially affiliated in any way with LittleSis.org, its developers, or the PAI.

   The Better Angels is an anarchist collective creating liberatory software. Our first project is Buoy, a cop-free alternative to 9-1-1. We are 100% volunteer driven and rely solely on donations. Support our work: https://www.generosity.com/community-fundraising/buoy-empowering-community-based-crisis-response

Untitled track

1. LEOexit code-along No. 1

   Ever wonder how a web project goes from concept to completion? Watch the Better Angels as they livestream every part of their new bite-sized project, code-named LEOexit. From drafting and coding, to infrastructure setup, all the way through publication, dive into each part of the process live, for free. Learn how you, too, can create a beautiful, impactful website using entirely free software and without paying even one cent to anyone, for anything.

   Go to https://gitter.im/betterangels/buoy and watch for a link to the video conference.

   To complement the biweekly Better Angels contributor training sessions (see our other Facebook events), we will be livestreaming our work on a new bite-sized project called LEOexit, a website that helps educate law enforcement officers about the harms their profession causes. The website will ultimately be a resource encouraging people to quit being cops, and will offer educational and practical tools for abandoning the sociopathic, violent profession of law enforcement.

   Join us as we build the website, or just sit back and watch how the Better Angels developers work with tools like git and GitHub, virtual machines, HTML, and more. Ask us questions as we work! Augment your own skills. There has never been a more interactive or fun way to learn web development from the ground up.

   The Better Angels is an anarchist collective creating liberatory software. Our first project is Buoy, a cop-free alternative to 9-1-1. We are 100% volunteer driven and rely solely on donations. Support our work: https://www.generosity.com/community-fundraising/buoy-empowering-community-based-crisis-response